Why No Buy?

by frugalista on February 1, 2012

Below is a repost of a blog post I wrote last year. It’s my call to No-Buy Month arms! So excited! Happy Saving! NM!

When I mention that I am doing a No-Buy Month, some people seem pretty perplexed- even irate. The thought of going 28 days without conspicuous consumption seems outright odd. Some folks think that I am a glutton for pain or I’m trying to damage the economy. Um, no.

No-Buy Month, the first time I did it, was life changing. Going without dining out, I was forced to learn how to cook. By not shopping at my every whim, allowed me to take stock of the clothes in my closet. Refusing to go to the salon every two weeks, showed me that I could have a stable bank account. Saving almost $400 at the end of the month showed me that while I complained about not making enough money, I certainly had room to trim the budget fat. Using that $400 to visit a friend who was terminally ill, without running up another credit card balance was priceless.

No-Buy Month isn’t a punishment. It’s a chance to pamper your finances and take stock in what you have, want and need. Someone once told me that the line items in our banking statements tell us where our priorities in life are. Three years ago, I was spending almost the same amount getting my hair done as I had in my savings account. What did that say about my life’s priorities? I shudder. With the average college student graduating with $24,000 in student loans and the country’s foreclosure rate where it is, many of us can do a little bit better by our finances.

Let’s have fun this month. You can grocery shop. You can find free things to do for fun. No-Buy Month is 1/12th of the year. Frugalistas UP!